Enhanced hyperlink feature for web pages

• US 8,135,617 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Near Intelligence LLC (Near Intelligence, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Snap Technologies Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Joseph, Meydad, Yovav, Levine, Jason, Radford, Michael, Benson, David E., Starace, Christopher, Kim, Eric J., Agostino, Michael N., Fields, Jason P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMILTON, SARA CHANDLER
• Application Number:
  US11/975,362
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/14.4
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

The invention in some embodiments features a contextual content delivery system (CCDS) for enhancing conventional web content with pop-up bubbles that display information when a cursor hovers over a word, link, or icon. The CCDS is configured to identify words or links in a document, determine their context, select the appropriate bubble from a plural of bubble types for each of the words or links, select content for each bubble based, in part, on the context in which the words and hyperlinks are used. The context can be determined from various sources including the resource in which the word or link appears and the target resource to which the link points. Thereafter, the CCDS enhances the words or links so that bubbles are automatically invoked in response to the appropriate trigger.

Claims

1. A contextual content delivery system operably connected to one or more publishers via a data communications network, the system comprising:

a computing device configured to;

identify one or more conventional hyperlinks in a document;

determine a context associated with each of the identified hyperlinks;

select, for each of the identified hyperlinks, one of a plurality of bubble types based on a uniform resource locator extracted from the identified hyperlink;

wherein each of the bubbles comprises a first display area and a second display area;

for each of the identified hyperlinks;

a) select content for the first display area of the associated bubble type based on the uniform resource locator extracted from the identified hyperlink; and

b) select content for the second display area of the bubble type based on the determined context of the identified hyperlink; and

convert each of the identified hyperlinks to an enhanced hyperlink for invoking the associated bubble type and content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the context associated with each of the identified hyperlinks is determined based on:

the publisher web page, the target web page, a host of the publisher web page, a host of the target web page, a topic category, a language of the target web page, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bubble types comprise a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) type, wherein the first display area of the RSS type comprises one or more article summaries.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bubble types comprise a video type incorporating a player application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bubble types comprise an audio type incorporating a player application.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bubble types comprise a financial type, wherein the first display area of the financial type comprises stock price information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bubble types comprise a map type, wherein the first display area of the map type comprises a map.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bubble types comprise a movie type, wherein the first display area of the movie type comprises a depiction of a movie.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bubble types comprise a preview type, the first display area of the preview type comprising an image of at least a portion of a target web page.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein content selected for the second display area comprises:

a search box, one or more suggested searches, links to related websites, or a combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein content selected for the second display area comprises:

one or more links to advertiser web page.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more links to advertiser web page are selected based on, in part, a click-through rate (CTR).

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more links to advertiser web page are selected based on, in part, on a click-through rate (CTR) and revenue per thousand page views (RPM).

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the content for the second display area of at least one of the plurality of bubble types is dynamically selected when a cursor triggers a bubble to launch.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the content for the second display area of at least one of the plurality of bubble types is selected based on programmatic instructions included in the web page.

16. A computer-based method of delivering contextual content with a computer system operably connected to one or more publishers via a data communications network, the method comprising:

identifying, by a computer, one or more conventional hyperlinks in a document; and

determining, by the computer, a context associated with each of the identified hyperlinks;

selecting, by the computer for each of the identified hyperlinks, one of a plurality of bubble types based on a uniform resource locator extracted from the identified hyperlink;

wherein each of the bubbles comprises a first display area and a second display area; and

for each of the identified hyperlinks;

a) selecting, by the computer, content for the first display area of the associated bubble type based on the uniform resource locator extracted from the identified hyperlink; and

b) selecting, by the computer, content for the second display area of the bubble type based on the determined context of the identified hyperlink; and

converting, by the computer, each of the identified hyperlinks to an enhanced hyperlink for invoking the associated bubble type and content.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the context associated with each of the identified hyperlinks is determined based on:

the publisher web page, the target web page, a host of the publisher web page, a host of the target web page, a topic category, a language of the target web page, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of bubble types comprise a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) type, wherein the first display area of the RSS type comprises one or more article summaries.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of bubble types comprise a video type incorporating a player application.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein content selected for the second display area comprises:

a search box, one or more suggested searches, links to related websites, or a combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein content selected for the second display area comprises:

one or more links to advertiser web page.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more links to advertiser web page are selected based on, in part, a click-through rate (CTR).

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more links to advertiser web page are selected based on, in part, on a click-through rate (CTR) and revenue per thousand page views (RPM).

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the content for the second display area of at least one of the plurality of bubble types is dynamically selected when a cursor triggers a bubble to launch.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the content for the second display area of at least one of the plurality of bubble types is selected based on programmatic instructions included in the web page.

26. A computer-readable memory containing programming instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause a computer server to deliver contextual content via a data communications network, the instructions comprising:

identifying one or more conventional hyperlinks in a document;

determining a context associated with each of the identified hyperlinks;

selecting, for each of the identified hyperlinks, one of a plurality of bubble types based on a uniform resource locator extracted from the identified hyperlink;

wherein each of the bubbles comprises a first display area and a second display area; and

for each of the identified hyperlinks;

a) selecting content for the first display area of the associated bubble type based on the uniform resource locator extracted from the identified hyperlink; and

b) selecting content for the second display area of the bubble type based on the determined context of the identified hyperlink; and

converting each of the identified hyperlinks to an enhanced hyperlink for invoking the associated bubble type and content.